Concept 1

ResearchSpace aims to integrate Web 2.0
collaboration tools with research applications. As scholars communicate they
can access and use research tools embedded within different collaborative
environments to find and draw in data, perhaps to illustrate a point or support
a proposition. Additionally, new data can be added to the data repository
during the collaborative process.

For example, a discussion within a particular
forum might prompt a researcher to search for information (data or digital
assets) in the ResearchSpace repositories and insert this information into their
discussion contributions. This would be supported by launching a semantic search
tool with options for selecting specific information. It might also be the case
that, before submitting the information to their post, that certain data operations
are performed first. This might be an image annotation or adding some
additional data. There are a number of research tools proposed by ResearchSpace
that will also take advantage of semantic functionality.

Although the ability to draw data back into a
discussion space helps to stimulate it, and can be followed by others participating
in the conversation, this information is still combined with the less
structured discussion narrative. To make it easier for the data activities to
be reviewed, these actions should be viewable on their own. This means two
views, one containing the discussion in full with the embedded data, and one that
documents the interaction with the data repositories, separated from the discussion
narrative. It might also be possible for the discussion narrative itself to be
tagged for future searching as potentially valuable data in its own right. All generated
information would be attributed based on users accounts, and also stamped with
date and time.

Summary of Concepts

1.An environment that allows
collaborative communication between scholarly experts will generate new
knowledge and data.

2.The ability to call upon
existing data and assets during a discussion can generate additional activity
and knowledge.

3.The ability to view and
search different aspects of collaborative activity.

4.New data should to be
recorded and correctly attributed.

Additional Note

The collaboration tools to which these concepts
apply are:

Discussion forums - in which ongoing communication and
conversations can be augmented and linked to information resources.

Blogs - in which the author can embed and link to
information to support an article, but also those commenting can make use of
information resources to comment and reply.

Wikis- should not duplicate data but allow scholars
to develop knowledge centres that link to ResearchSpace data repositories while
providing additional narratives – in a similar way to Wikipedia where
structured data sits alongside informative and contextual narrative.